A Shocking Discovery
by interdimensionalmeatpie
Summary: During a class trip at Signal Academy, Ren and Nora get ahead of the group, and Nora finally discovers her Semblance. Join the dynamic duo as they make their way through Forever Fall. Based on an idea from pinktxrnado.


_Happy RWBY Thursday!_

 _It's me, come to deal your daily dose of RWBY goodness, now with more Ren and Nora!_

 _Many heartfelt thanks to pinktxrnado on Tumblr for the great idea, and again to Monty for the amazing universe._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

"Nora?"

"Yes Ren?"

"I think we're lost."

"Hmmmm...Nah." Nora Valkyrie laughed at the notion. It's not our fault that Professor Branwen and the rest of the Signal gang can't keep up with us. Huh. Some field trip."

"Still, I don't think the middle of Forever Fall forest was on the itinerary. It's nice, but we gotta get back before we get in trouble", replied her partner. Lie Ren looked around the forest, looking around the forest for landmarks.

"It looks like there's a hill in a clearing that way. Maybe we can take a look around on the top for anyone."

Nora responded with a simple "OK!" and grabbed Ren by the hand, rocketing up the hill, dragging him with her.

Atop the hill, the two rested against the solitary tree on the hill and looked around for signs of the class.

"I don't see anything", said Ren. "Do you?"

"Trees", replied Nora.

"Anything else?"

Nora thought a moment. "More trees?" she suggested.

"Nora, I meant do you see anything important?"

Nora grinned and turned to face Ren. "A very very funny Ren", she said, poking him on the nose.

Ren chuckled. "We do have to find the group at one point or another, though."

"Too bad our Scrolls are dead", Nora replied, pouting.

"It was kinda our fault for staying up late and playing SlothKart together all night after all."

"You know I'm gonna get you for using all those red shells on me." Nora giggled and resumed scanning the forest below for any sign of their classmates. When she failed to find anything, she looked around for inspiration, her eyes finally settling on the tree the two of them were leaning against.

"Hmm," Nora mused. "Maybe I can climb this tree and get an even better look around.

"Nora, I don't think that's a good idea with the storm rolling in."

Indeed, a threatening line of clouds was moving in from the south, rapidly eating up the previously pleasant day.

"Oh come on Ren! What's the worst that could happen?"

As if on cue, the darkened sky lit up and a roll of thunder echoed across the forest and over the hill.

"That", Ren said, shifting back and forth nervously.

Nora was already beginning to climb the tree.

"Nora!" Ren called out, fighting to be heard over the wind, which had started to pick up.. "There's a thunderstorm! That means lightning! And we're on the top of a hill! And now it's starting to rain!"

"Oh come on Ren! You're not my mom", she called back defiantly, dropping down to hang from a low branch like a hyperactive ginger bat.

"Um...Nora...?"

The challenging smile faded from Nora's face.

"...oh...yeah...I'm sorry, Renny..."

"It's fine, but Nora, please, come down? I don't want you to get hurt."

Nora smiled again. "Ren, you're such a sweetie. But don't worry, I promise I'll be fine, I just gotta find Professor Branwen and the group and I'll be down." With that, Nora disappeared into the leaves, but not without dropping back down one last time and poking Ren on the nose.

"Boop."

A worried expression creased Ren's brow as he backed up to get a full view of the tree, waiting for the orange-haired Valkyrie to reappear. Sure enough, a moment later, his partner poked her head out from atop the tree, waving gaily.

"CAN YOU SEE THEM?" Ren called to her over the rain and wind.

"NOPE. BUT I CAN SEE SIGNAL FROM UP HERE."

"OK, COME ON, WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE-"

Ren never got to finish his sentence. A blinding burst of light engulfed the tree, bringing with it a deafening _hiss-crack_.

Ren stumbled back, dazzled by the sudden blast.

"Nora!"

 _Oh Dust. Was she all right? Is she hurt? Was she hit?_

When his vision finally returned to him, a scene of utter devastation met his eyes.

The tree had taken a direct hit; its leaves blown clean off, branches scattered all around. At the sight of the carnage, Ren's breath caught in his throat.

 _No, no, no! This can't be happening!_

He stood there, petrified, until a strange sound caught his attention. He looked over to its source-

-and there sat a very angry looking Nora, atop the tree branch she had been standing on for support, which had crashed some thirty feet to the ground.

Ren was surprised, to say the least. She looked completely unharmed, save for the branches tangled in her hair and clothes and the scowl that split her normally jovial face.

"Ren," Nora growled, "the tree dropped me! _It dropped me!"_

Ren ran frantically over to and pulled her into a tight hug. The storm momentarily forgotten, he managed to stammer, "Dust, t-that was a close one. I'm just glad you're all right."

"Um, Ren?"

"Y-yes Nora?" Ren let her go momentarily, still shaking from fear and relief.

"Can you let me teach this tree a lesson first? I mean there was lightning and thunder and all and it hit us...well it was weird since it didn't hurt us or anything... But the tree was being mean and it dropped me and I really don't..." Nora trailed off as she turned around and stalked off angrily towards the tree.

"Nora?" Ren started after her. "What are-"

"...and I'M GOING TO TEACH IT A LESSON!" Nora raised an indignant finger as she continued to march towards the tree. Stopping before it, she cracked her neck and knuckles, letting a psychotic smile creep onto her face.

Ren could only watch in confusion as Nora went through her actions. All of a sudden, Nora let out a loud war cry:

"LOOK MA, NO HANDS!"

And then she headbutted the tree.

Ren could never be sure, but he could have sworn he saw an electric blue explosion the second Nora smashed her head into the tree.

The tree was ripped from the ground, cartwheeling end over end from the air. Ren watched it go, mouth agape, as it shot down the hill and into the forest, trailing arcs of electricity, before it crashed into the forest and exploded in a brilliant flash of blue.

He was speechless. _Did she just headbutt a tree over half a mile?_ HOW _did it explode? Did-_

His thoughts were interrupted as Nora bounded back towards him, throwing her arms around him. Ren hugged her back, happy that Nora was fine and totally unharmed.

But despite his relief and abject confusion, Ren couldn't help but feel something he hadn't experienced for ages.

For the first time in a long time, Lie Ren was afraid.

* * *

The next day, back at Signal Academy

* * *

"...and aren't you _sooo_ excited that Professor Branwen is finally letting us make our weapon blueprints today? Well I hope he won't be too mad at us today for getting lost on the field trip yesterday and that we had to make it back on our own and all in the rain and the dark and the Grimm and the stupid wimp tree..."

Ren listened as his partner prattled on and on about the events of the previous day. Neither of them were totally on board with what had happened with Nora headbutting the tree. But Nora had her theories.

"...maybe when we got hit by lightning something happened, like I got charged up or something. Like a big pink battery! Yeah, that's it! I'm a battery. In pink!"

"I think you may have found your Semblance." Ren offered.

Nora opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by a voice in the front of the classroom.

Instead of Professor Branwen, a man with green hair and glasses stood at the front of the room.

"Good-morning-children-I-am-Doctor-Oobleck-your-substitute-for-today." The man spoke abnormally quickly, prompting Nora to look over at Ren with a bemused expression, which he returned.

"As-you-know-Professor-Branwen-ran-into-a-spot-of-trouble-yesterday-after-your-field-trip-so-I-will-be-filling-in-until-such-a-time-where-he-is-sufficiently-recovered."

A girl at the front of the class piped up. "What happened to Professor Branwen?"

"Well-as-you-can-imagine-it-was-the-weirdest-thing!" Oobleck paused, taking a sip from his coffee.

"The-professor-claimed-to-be-attacked," he resumed, "not-by-Grimm, but-by-a-large-flying-electrified-tree. He-will-tell-you-when-he-wakes-back-up!"

As the class murmured in confusion, Nora began to giggle nervously from her seat. Ren leaned over and whispered.

"Nora, please. Don't ever do that again?"

"Oh come on Ren, you gotta admit that was cool", Nora whispered back, smiling sheepishly.

Ren simply stated at her for a while before allowing a small smile to play across his face.

"I guess it was."

* * *

 _Yo! This probably won't be how Nora discovered her semblance, but it was such a good idea I read that it was impossible to set it aside (Thanks again!)._

 _Thanks for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated._

 _As always, I do not own RWBY._

 _i-pie._


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